Chief Rabbinate Legal Advisor Rejects Kashrut License Granted to Tzohar as Illegal

The Chief Rabbinate's legal advisor, Attorney Ofer Yaakov, has reaffirmed his position that the kashrut license granted to the organization Tzohar was issued unlawfully and cannot be relied upon or used as a basis for operations. In a letter sent on Wednesday to the Chief Rabbinate CEO Yehuda Cohen, Yaakov dismissed Cohen's claims defending the license's validity, stating that inaccuracies appeared in Cohen's letter both factually and legally. However, Yaakov chose not to elaborate on these inaccuracies in his current correspondence.

Yaakov emphasized that his previous letter, which expressed these views, was prepared with the input of the State Attorney's Office, which holds the authority to determine the legal validity of administrative actions such as issuing kashrut licenses. He noted that Cohen's assertion that the license remains valid contradicts the State Attorney's position that the license was granted improperly. Yaakov reiterated that the license cannot be used as a legal basis for Tzohar's activities and requested all documents and materials related to the license decision for further review.

This letter follows Cohen's announcement a day earlier that, from his perspective, the license remains valid despite the legal advisor's objections. Cohen argued that Tzohar met all legal requirements for the license and that the Chief Rabbinate Council did not express any halachic opposition for months, which he interpreted as tacit approval. Cohen rejected the legal opinion against the license and stated that the law does not require the council's explicit positive approval, only the absence of halachic objections.

The dispute highlights a legal and administrative conflict within the Chief Rabbinate regarding the legitimacy of Tzohar's kashrut certification, with the legal advisor and the CEO holding opposing views on the license's validity and the proper process for its issuance.